Lubricating means for centrifugal liquid separator mechanism



July 5, 1932.

.1. we. EDWARDS LUBRICATING MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL LIQUID SEPARATORMECHANISM Filed Feb. 19, 1930 INVENTOR a]: M. Eda/a 7126,

Patented 5, 1932 UNITED STATES. ram osmosumns M00031! nnwniins, or cnnnnnmonrs, rown, ASSIGNOR 'ro nssoomrnn MANUFACTURERS CORPORATION OFAMERICA, OFQWATEBLOO, IOWA LUBRICA'IING MEAQNS FOR CENTRIFUGAL LIQUIDSEPABATOR 'MEOHANISH Application filed February 19, 1930, Serial No.429,781. I

M invention relates to improvements in lubrlcatin means for the drivingmechanism of centri ugal liquid separators, and the object of myimprovement is to supply forcefeed means therefor, which include meansfor straining and purifying a liquid lubricant used, to permit it to beused repeatedly in service. 7

This object I have accomplished b the 1 means WlllCh are hereinafterdescribe and claimed, and which are'illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation with elements broken away orremoved, of the driving mechanism for a centrifugal liquid separator,including the force-feed lubricating means associated operativelytherewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical cross section of thesump and strainer therefor of said devices. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are variousenlarged cross sections of the pumping device, and Fig. 6 is a sideelevation thereof. a

It is to be understood that the applicant reserves the right tovariously modify the construction of said lubricatingmeans and itsadaptation to various types of mechanisms other than that shown, withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention or from 1 the protection ofthe appended claim.

driving mechanism of a centrifugal liquid 'or cream separator isdesigned for rapid operatiomso that the separator bowl may be rotated atany high speed, for example, at tenthousand revolutions per min- 5 ute;It is therefore especially necessary that all the bearings of movingelements of the mechanism he kept constantly well lubricated with purefiowable oillubricant free from impurities, sediment, or particles of removed metals taken by friction from the contacting moving parts.Otherwise, these parts will rapidly wear and require replacement, whilethe efliciency of the machine will be afiected.

As the driving mechanism for the separator bowl must be positionedtherebelow, and housed in as limited a space as possible, it isnecessary for the auxiliary lihricating device be as compactas'possible, and that the pump thereof he very simple and small ascombined therewith and with the mechanism and the housing. i

In the exemplification of said Fig. 1, the numeral 1 denotes the hollowhousing of a centrifugal liquid separator driving mechanism, the usuallysuperposed separator bowl and associated contrivances not being shown,and said housing may or may not be supported on legs 2 or othersupporting means. In the lower part of said housing is removablyfastened a basal element 10 spaced above the depending and hollowedbottom 3 of the houstral sump 4 having an annular interior shoulder, andabove the shoulder a ring-shaped 'ing, which latter includes acup-shaped centrough 5 containing a felted or-porous straming material9, the outer annular flattened edge or rim 7 of the trough being mountedand secured on the upper annular edge of the cup by screws 8. The innervertical rim of the trough is raised a desired distance above its saidouter rim.

I Within the housing and stepped in a hearing. seat in the base member10 is a vertical rotable shaft 11. The seat part of said base ispreferably raised above the body thereof and cupped at the top toreceive oil dropped from above in a misty condition as hereinafterdescribed. Also the base 10 may have a cupped part 13 to lihewisereceive some of the dropped lubricant, to serve as a constant stock tolubricate the bearing of a rotatable element 14 and 18 stepped therein.The shaft 11 may carry gears 16 and 17 a little above the cupped part 12as also a bevel-gear 15 near its top, plus other mechanisms not shown onor associated with the shaft, such as a collar-bearing therefor or abearing for a crankshaft, these being well known in. this art, andtherefore'not herein shown or further described. I

The force-feed lubricator is thus described. Secured to the under faceof the basal member 10 is a pumping'cylinder 19, shown in longitudinalsection in Fig. 1 and contain ing a. solid'cylindrical plunger piston 20reciprocatory therein and to project beyond an open end of the cylinderand kept in rubbing contact with a cam 21 on the lower end of the shaift11, tensioned by a compression see spring 38 in the cylinder hollow. Thepump casing includes a hollow depending inlet tube 23 having its lowerend dipping into the oil contents of the sump cup4 below the strainer 9,and itself having a bottom strainer 22 of finely ll'lOSllttl wire.

As shown also insaid Figs. 3 and 4, the

upper end of the passage 34- through the inlet tube 2 is controlled by aball check-valve 3:2, and the pump casing has a horizontal passage 35leading from above said check-valve hand end oi" the cylinder, bore 37is diminished at 3'.) to more closely embrace. and prevent displacementfrom its central position of the said spring 38. I

The riser 24 extends into the upper sump 1;) and about tube projectstheret'ron'r horizontally and then vertically and is crowned at the topby a hollow distributing or supply chamber 26 having a short drip tube27 and a longer and bent tube 28, the latter extending horizontally andthen vertiall v upwardly above the top of the shaft and being crowned bya hollow supply chamber 25) having oppositely disposed drip tubes 30 and31, the latter adapted to deliver purified oil downwardly upon a neckbearing and a crank-shaft bearing not shown, as hereinbefore mentioned.

After an initial supply of lubricating oil has been placed in the sump 5to immerse the lower part of the pump inlet tube 23 and its terminalstrainer 22, the shaft 11 may be placed in rotation to cause the cam 21to pushingly actuate the plunger piston 20, the latter being returned bythe reacting spring 38. As

the plunger 20 returns a suction is set up in the chambers and 36,retaining the valve 40 on its seat while the valve 32 lifts'and thechambers 34, 36 and fill with oil. On the next stroke the plunger closesthe valve 32 and pushes up the valve 40 to discharge the oil from thechamber 35 into the riser 24, tube 2), chamber 26, tube 28, chamber 29,

" whereby oil is forced out of the drip tubes 27, 30 and 31, to drop thelubricant downwardly upon said gearing which by centrifugal forcereduces the oil to a falling mist which thoroughly lubricates all thehearings in returning to the bottom of the housing and the sump 5. Inpassing into the sump 5 the oil is strained by the filter 9. and thestrainer 22 further purities the oil in the circulation of the devicefrom metal grit and sediments.

" Thus the oil is kept usable a longtime without renewal.

Havlng described my invention, what I clalm as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

In combination, a closed housing, driving mechanism of a centrifugalliquid separator therein, including a rotary shaft and a pumping device,said pumping device having an open end pumping cylinder and a reactlvelyresiliently controlled imperforate plunger piston therein to projecttherefrom,.a cam on said shaft engaging and adapted to actuate saidpiston, valvular devices in said pumping device to respectively controlthe inlet and outlet of the cylinder, a strainer covering said inlet, adistributing branching conduit in communication with said'outlet andadapted to deliver a liquid lubricant from said pumping device uponditi'erent elements of said mechanism, and a SllInp-ln said housingcontaining a strainer se )tum for lubricant returned from saidmechanism, the pump inlet being immersed in the strained lubricant belowsaid strainer septum.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES MoCOSH EDWARDS.

